Typhoon Bavi lashed Japan’s southern islands as Taiwan evacuated residents and suspended services. The storm left dozens injured and put eastern China on high alert before landfall.

Typhoon Bavi brought strong winds and rain to Japan’s southern islands on Saturday, while Taiwan and eastern China prepared for the storm with evacuations, service suspensions and high alerts. The storm had maximum sustained winds of 144 kph near its centre, and forecasters said it was expected to pass north of Taiwan before moving towards eastern China.

According to Taiwan’s Central Weather Administration, the typhoon is forecast to pass north of Taiwan on Saturday. China’s National Meteorological Centre said it is expected to move towards Zhejiang in eastern China and make landfall in the early hours of Sunday.

In Japan’s southern islands in Okinawa prefecture, local authorities warned of high waves, strong winds and storm surges. More than 200 flights were cancelled across the region, according to public broadcaster NHK. Strong winds and rain hit islands including Ishigaki.

In Taiwan, the Central Emergency Operation Centre said at least 36 people had been injured as of 8 am on Saturday. Many of the injuries were sustained by people riding motorcycles in rain and strong winds on slippery roads. Officials said 14,210 people had been evacuated across the island by Saturday morning, including residents of the eastern county of Hualien and the central city of Taichung. Schools and offices in most parts of Taiwan were suspended for the day.

In southeastern China, coastal cities were preparing for the storm’s impact. In Ningde city in Fujian province, more than 3,700 people had been moved from high-risk onshore areas by Friday evening, according to the official Xinhua News Agency. Authorities in Fujian also placed more than 17,000 emergency rescue workers on standby.

China’s National Meteorological Centre issued an orange typhoon alert, the second-highest in its four-tier warning system. Many schools and ferry services were suspended, while hundreds of flights were cancelled and some high-speed rail services were halted. The centre also issued the year’s first red alert for rainstorms on Saturday, state broadcaster CCTV reported. Overall, Typhoon Bavi disrupted travel in Japan, caused injuries and evacuations in Taiwan, and put eastern China on high alert ahead of its expected landfall.

With PTI Inputs